Electrical signaling and switching apparatus.



R. H. MANSON. ELECTRICAL SIGNALING AND SWITCHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1907. I 943,883. Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET l. m

R. H. MANSON. ELECTRICAL SIGNALING AND SWITCHING APPARATUS. APPLIOATION IILED MAY 29. 1907.

943,883, Patented Dec.21,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

citizen of the United States, residin Ely'ria, in the county of Lorain and STATES rn'rn'r orator RAY H. MANSON, F ELYRTA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, TO THE DEAN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF ELYRIA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ELECTRICAL SIGNALING AND SWITCHING APPARATUS,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

Original application filed June 14, 1905, Serial No. 265,242. Divided endthis application filed Mayfitl, 1907. Serial No. 876,424;

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, RAY H. MANSON, a at tate of Ohio, have invented certain new anduset'ul Improvements in Electrical Signaling and Switching Apparatus,of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying -drawing.

hlydnvention relates. to electrical signaling and switching-apparatus, and part'icu-.

larly to what are known as combined annunciator drops and jacks.

. Some features of my invention may be employed to advantage elsewhere than in the combination I have here described, but

all are particularly useful in connection with telephone exchange switchboards.

The invention has for its object the roduction of a combined self-restoring rop and jack which will be easy to assemble, easy to take apart, proof against rough and inexperienced handling, economical to manufacture,and-eflicient in operation. Units of this type are usually assembled and mounted either separately or in strips of ten, and

, their connection and adjustment in a switchboard are usually "assigned to unskilled labor. Moreover, a large percentage of the switchboards of this type are used in small exchanges, frequently isolated, where all repairs, the replacement of parts, and the like, must of necessity be accomplished not only wvithout the assistance of skilled labor, but

frequently without any but the most primitive tools. I have designed a combination piece of'apparatus to meet these conditions, the results attained in point of convenience and efficiency being of course desirable in' any circumstances and in any location. Briefly stated, my invention comprises a front plate upon which all the parts are mounted, a tubular iron-clad electromagnetend-supportedon said plate, a drop shutter with night-alarm contacts, controlled by the magnet, a spring-jack lying beneath and parallel with the electromagnet and also end-supported on the plate, and a long spring movable with one of the jack-springs when a plug is inserted, to push up and restore the drop shutter. nections between the winding of the electromagnet and the other parts are made very The electrical con- 'its spool from the tubular casing. For this no tools are required, and as all parts are interchan cable the greatest facility is thus provided tor making re airs.

This application is a ivision of my earlier application tiled June 14,- 1905, Serial No. 265,242.

.The specific novel features of my invention will be pointed out in the following detailed description and the claims appended hereto.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the entire device; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view showing the frame and springs of the jack; Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation; Fig. 4 is a side'view of the-elem tromagnet with portions of the other. parts in section, showing my improved arrange- 'mcnt of the night-alarm contacts; and Fig.

as it is shown, that is in a single unit section,

although itmay extend to a sufficient length for the accommodation and support of ten or more units. Upon the rear face of this plate I provide a sheet of insulating materiala' and secured against this in any suitable manner, as by means of screws extending through the front-plate, is the tubular iron shell, B, extending horizontally to the rear, and housing within it the electromagnet C whose core 0 is secured at the front end to the end of the shell so as to form a good magnetic circuit. At the rear end of the shell I provide a saddle or yoke (3 screwed or riveted to the shell and having a raised portion 6" and ears 6 between which the armature and its detent rod are pivoted.

The armature is indicated by the letter 0 against the inner faces of the ears b and between theselugs lies the pivot block I)" through which and through the lugs and ears passes the pivot-pin 6 The lower outer edge of the'pivot-block is chainfered oif to form a normal hearing face for the end of a spring 6 secured by screws 6 upon the lower part of the outer face'of the armature. Secured solidly to the pivot-block b and lying along the top of the shell B, is the armature detent-rod Z2 whose front end passes through an opening a, in the upper part of the plate A, and is then bent down at an angle with its axis, terminating in a hook or detent 6 Upon the upper part of the face of the front-plate A 1s secured in any suitable manner, as by screws pass1n into the plate the shutter-plate (Z formec with two bent ears d to receive the shutter pintle (Z and insulated from the plate A by the interposed rubber or fiber a Pivoted upon the .pintle d and normally held up in front of the plate (Z by the hook end I) of the rod 1) is the drop-shutter D, having the opening (Z through its upper portion for the passage of the detent, and upon its lower edge having fourtongues or projections 03*, cl, (Z and (Z (see Fig. 5). The tongues 03 and (Z are bent over to take around and form bearings for the pintle (5 The tongue (l is for restoring purposes, and the tongue (Z controls the night-alarm contacts.

Below the shutter D the front-pla-e A is cut out to form an opening a for the passage of the night-alarm and restoring springs, to which further reference will be made, and in order to cover this opening as I well as to protect the projecting ends of the springs, I provide the box' or casing E, preferably formed up out of sheet metal, with openings e and 6 and secured upon the face-plate-by rivets or screws through the lugs 6. (See Fig. 5).

Belowthe housing E lies the jack J, the Working parts of which are supported in a frame composed of two longitudinal side strips J 5, J 2 joined at their front ends by a yoke piece j, and at their rear ends by a horizontal yoke-plate j upon which, and between the side plates, are mounted the various operating springs. The jack frame is secured to the front-plate A by the hushed thimble j the insulating plate a extending down between the frame and the front plate and being pierced for the passage of the thimble shank, while the latter is surrounded I by the insulating bushing j whereby the are carried'on the same plate, or whose plates are-secured on the same metal switchboard frame ThlS is particularly necessary, also,

upon an insulating stud j which is preferably shouldered and has its neck lying in an opening in the spring to prevent lateral displacement. The spring 7'? in the idle condition of the apparatus lies upon a brid e piece or stud J extending from side to side of the jack frame and comprising an outerinsulating sleeve and an inner metal stud having its ends riveted into the two frame plates. This stud also receives on its under face thethrust of the anvil spring j, withwhieh the tip spring j makes a strong contact while idle. The adjustment of the parts is such that they will lie in the position shown in Fig. 1 when the apparatus is in disuse, and a careful examination of this figure will show that with my arrangement it is possible to secure both easy assembling and perfect adjustment of the jack before the latter is applied to the front-plate at all. When the complete apparatus is finally assembled all together, the steady-pins j lie in corresponding openings in the rear face of the insulating plate a the jack structure being thus prevented from turning, which it might do if secured by the thimble 9' only, since this latter is tapped into the yoke j and unless riveted might in practice slacken up enough to permit the jack to have some slight play, thereby spoiling the adjustment of the springs, and particularly the restoring spring.

The ack springs are secured at their rear ends by being piled up with interposed slips of insulating material upon the cross-yoke i, and held in such position by the cla'mping plate 7' and the screws j ,'tl1e later being hushed if required, and tapped directly into the yoke plate. In order to permit of in spection and adjustment afterassembling tools. According to my preferred construction the core 0 is riveted at its end to the end of the shell, and the spool containing the windings can be slid in and out byv merely throwing up the armature around the pivot 6 into the position shown i'nrFig. It

' inserted tie spring snaps over the pin and the annunciator, amagiietic circuit of fairly up on the rear end of the contact-spring should be stated here that in order to secure certainty of movement when in the normal position shown in Fig. 1, I may provide the armature and the pivot block with shoulders which will come into engagement. in the full line positions, but'will be disengage'din the dotted line position. IVith the armature thrown up the'coil may be slid out, and a new coil slid in, such substitution being quite frequently required in cases of burn-outs and the like. In order to secure the spool removably in place I provide the outer head with a projecting pin a which, when the coil is inserted, passes into a slot 6 in the lower edgeof the shell and is engaged by a latclrsprin B secured upon the under. side of the shell? In order to withdraw the coil "this sprin is depressed, and when a coil is,

holds it inplace.

l \Vhen the magnet coil is inserted in the shell, the spring catch snaps over the pin, and, as neither of these parts can move longitudinally, the position of the magnet in the core is determined by them. hen ever the magnet is removed-and returned, it will be caught and held in the position originally occupied by it.. Thisfassures a normal air gap of constant width, and, as the air gap is the variable part of the magnetic circuit, in a combination such as is disclosed in constant factors is assured. In telephone lines where annunciators of this clas' we extensively used, the currents employed to operate these drops are slight and of fairly constantstrength. The signal D is returned and caught in the same position at each insertion of the plug. This determines the po sition of the detent rod 72 and the armature I) by regulating them, so that they will always occupy the same initial positions. Under these circumstances I can construct amumciators without allowing a large safety factor to take care of the variations in he magnet circuit caused by a possible change in the air gap.

In order to make electrical connection between thecoil and the jack terminals, I provide the solid pivoted hasps H, H secured at their lower ends to the proper terminals on the jack frame, and at their upper ends engaging the terminals 0 secured to the head of the spool. The hasp H is pivoted on a screw 7i tapped into the.v sleeve j formed up on the rear end of the anvil spring j: while the hasp H is pivoted on the spool la tapped into the sleeve j formed The contact spring j also has a sleeve j, which takes a screw [L2, but there is no hasp connection, the only purpose in this case being to provide a solid terminal for attachment of the circuit wires. For this purpose] secure by means of the screw it a.

tailed washer h, having its outer end perforated for the attachment by solder of the line-wire. The other side' of the line is attached to a similar perforated tail formed on the hasp H. It will thus be observed that when the hasps H'and H are turned up to engage the two terminals 0 c and the screws are tightened upon them, the magnet winding is bridged across the two springs, j, j, and as the latter is normally in contactwith-the spring and as the springs i and j are the line-terminals, it follows that the magnet is normally bridged across the line, and'is cut'out when a plug is inserted.

It remains to describe my in'iproved arrangement of night'-alarm contacts, which is best shown in Figsu'i and 5. The spring N is secured by screws or otherwise, to one side of the tubular shell B, and has its forward end extending through the opening a in the front-plate, and into the box or housing. This end is turned up as shown at n, Fig. l, and lies in the opening 0, to be engaged when the drop is down by the tongue d thereof. Underlying the end of the spring 71 is the anvil contact a, which, as I have already stated, is grounded upon the frame A. Only one circuit connection therefore is required to be made when a new unit is attached to the switchboard.

The operation of my improved apparatus is as follows: The parts allbeing in the position shown in Fig. 1, when signaling current comes over the subscribers line it passes in by way of the terminal it and hasp I-I, through the coil C, back through hasp H to the spring j, thence to the spring 9, and.

back to line by way of the terminal 11*. The armature I) being attracted, the rod b is lifted, the hook I) detached from the shutter, and the latter falls. The tongue (Z then engages the night-alarm spring a to close,

that circuit, and the tongue d comes down upon and overlies the end of the restoring spring j as shown indotted lines in Fig. It should be stated that this tongue is not essential, the idea being that the restoring spring should engage and lift the drop shutter. When the plug is inserted in response to the call it spreads apart the springs j and j'", the former lifting off thecontact j and thereby cutting out the drop,

'while the other lifts the stud j and the restoring spring the outer end of which passes up through the slot 0 in the box E and lifts the shutter D until it again ongages and is retained by the hook 5 In putting a unit into a switchboard the front plate is secured upon the frame, and the line-wires are solderedto the terminals In, 7L4. XOthing more is required. In replacing a burned out coil, the screws 0* are loosened and the hasps H and H thrown down into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. This exposes the face of the armature b and removes all obstructions, so

that by simply inserting the finger below withdrawn and a new one substituted.

the projecting lower end of the spring 6 the entire armature can be swung up into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, being retained there by the pressure ,of the spring 6 on the top of the pivot block b. I Then by depressing the end of the spring B so as to clear the pin 0'', the spool may be The armature is then turned down, the hasps thrown up into position and the screws 0 tightened up, when the apparatus is again in condition for operation.

I am aware that many changes may be made in matters of shape or in non-essential details of construction without departing from the spirit of my invention, and-I wish itunderstood that I include all such within the scope and purview thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1 An annunciator comprising a frame, an.

said armature for securing the first named means to the armature in an operative or inoperative position as desired.

3. In an annunciator, the combination with a signal device, of an operating magnet therefor, a jointedtwo-part armature controlled by current in said magnet, means carried by one part of said armature for controlling the signal device, and a spring carried by'theother part of said armature for constant engagement with the part carrying the signal controlling device, so that the last named part may beheld in or out of operative relation with the core of said magnet.

4. In an annunciator, the combination with a signal device, of an operating magnet therefor, projecting terminals for said magnet, an armature in operative relation with the core of said magnet, means operated by ;the armature for controlling the signal device, means for holding one part of the armature in variable mutual relation with the other part, and detachable line connecting links for the magnet terminals which lock the armature in operating relations with the core of the magnet.

5. An annunciator comprising a magnetic shell and a detachable magnet spool therein,

a signal device, and a jointed armature composed of two members, one member associated with the signal device, the other member movable to an inoperative position with respect to the first, said spool being removable from the shell without changing the adj ustment of the signal device and the associated member of the armature.

6. Anannunciator comprising an iron shell supported on a fixed frame plate, a magnet spool carrying an energizing winding detachably secured within said shell, a signal device secured upon the frame plate, a pivot- .block pivbted upon the shell, a controlling lever for the signal secured to said pivot block, and an armature connected to said pivot block so as tobe normally in operative relation with the magnet and across the end of the shell, but adapted to be turned upon the pivot block so as to clear the end of the shell for the removal of the magnet spool, substantially as described.

7. An annunciator comprising an iron tubular shell, an electromagnet spool and winding detachably held within said shell, a saddle upon the end of the shell, a pivot block pivoted upon said saddle, an armature also pivoted upon said saddle and normally lying across the end of the shell in operative relation with the magnet structure, a retaining spring carried by said armatureand acting upon the pivot block, and operative con nections between the pivot block and the working parts of the annunciator, the whole so arranged that the armature may be thrown up to clear the end of the shell, or may be thrown down across the same, being retained in either position by the engagement of its spring with the surfaces of the pivot block, substantially as described;

8. An annunciator comprising a tubular magnetic shell B, a core 0, a spool sliding within the shell and upon the core and carrying an energizing winding, a latch spring B secured to the shell and a pin 0 secured to the spool head and protruding through a slot 7) in the shell, a saddle b and a pivot block I) pivoted therein, an armature I) also pivoted therein and carrying a spring b having its lower end formed into a lip for lifting the armature and its upper end resting upon cam surfaces of the pivot block for retaining the armature in or out of operative relation to the end of the shell and core,

the swing of the armature on the pivot blockbeing sufiicient to remove it from the path of the Spool when sliding the same into or out of the shell, substantially as described.

9. In an annunciator, an electrolnagnet, a

drop shutter associated therewith, an armai ture for said magnet, means controlled by 10. In an annunciator, an electromagnet,

a drop shutter associated therewith, an armature for said magnet,'means controlled by the armature for operating said shutter, a

removable coil for the magnet, and means tive and inoperative positions, so that when set in the'latter. position the coil may be inent of said armature re atively to said removed from the core without tools and without disarranging other parts.

i .12. Anannunciator comprising a frame,

an energizing winding removably supported on a core by the frame, an armature pivoted to the frame, a signal device carried on the frame and controlled by the armature, the armature so. supported on the frame as to be removable from its operative position to permit the removal of the winding from the core and frame.

13, In an annunciator, an electromagnet, a drop shutter associated therewith, an armature for said magnet, an energizing coil removably supported on the core of said magnet, means controlled by the armature for operating said shutter, and means for so supporting said armature from the magnet that saidarmature is removable from its operative po'sitionto permit the removal of the coil: from the core.

14. In an annunciator, an electromagnet, adrop shutter associated therewith, an armature for said magnet, means controlled by the armature for operating said shutter, a removable coil for the magnet, and means .for'supporting the armature from said magnet so that 'saidarmaturemaybe removed to a position to permit the removal of said coil Without changing the o crating adjustshutter-operating means.

.15. In an annunciator, the combination with a" front plate, of a core connected thereto, a" coil removably mounted on the core, adrop shutter pivoted to the front plate, an armature associated with the core and :coil, means connected to thearmature for, controlling the drop shutter, and mechanism for holdin the armature in o 'erative position relativel y to the core, suci mechanism permitting the removal of the arms, ture from its operative position so that the coil may be removed from the core;

16. In an annunciator, the combination of an electroma net, a s oo l and a casing therefor, a signa contro led thereby, a frame upon which said magnet is mounted, an automatic locking device for holding the said fspoolin position within the casing, including one locking member carried by the magnet and a companion locking member.

having a mounting substantially stationary with respect-thereto, an armature for said magnet mounted .onthe frame and signal controlling-means actuated by said armature.

17. In an annunciTa-tor, the combination of an electromagnet, a signal controlled thereby a framc'upon which said magnet is removably mounted, a locking device for locking the magnet to the frame consistin of a spring controlled catch member an a cooperating locking member, one of said members mounted on the magnet and the other 'OIl the frame, anarmature forsaid magnet mounted on the frame and signal controlling means actuated by said armature.

18. In an annunciator, the combination of and the other on the magnet, an armature for said magnet mounted on the frame and signal controlling means actuated by said.

armature.

19. In an annunciator, the combination of an electromagnet, a signal controlled thereby, a frame on which the magnet is removably mounted, a locking device for locking the magnet tothe frame consisting of a spring catch member on the frame and a cooperating locking member on the magnet,-

an armature for said magnet mounted on the frame and signal controlling means actuated by said armature.

In testimon whereof I afiix-my signature in presenceo two Witnesses RAY H. MANSQN lVitnesses:

A. J Ronrn'rs, W, O; STRONG. 

